Controlling device for sliding doors.



E. F. SMITH. CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR SLIDING DOORS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21) 1910.

Patented Oct. 11, 1910..

ELMER F. SMITH, 0F MARION, MASSACHUSETTS.

CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR SLIDING DOORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 21, 1910.

Patented Oct. 11, 1910. Serial No. 562,646.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELMER F. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Marion, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Controlling Devices for Sliding Doors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to controlling and operating devices for sliding doors, and particularly for sliding doors made in two or more sections which travel at different speeds, such as are commonly used at entrances of elevator shafts, and its object is to provide a simple and positive, operating device of this character.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one embodiment of the invention,Figure 1 is a front elevation of a pair of sliding doors or door sections equipped with an operating device containing my invention, the doors being shown in closed position; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the door sections and operating device shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detail view, enlarged, showing in front elevation the swivel guide block which constitutes one of the features of my invention; and Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view showing said guide block in side elevation, viewed from the right of Fig. 3.

The two door sections A and A are made of any approved form and mounted in the ordinary way to slide on two parallel tracks. The door opening to be closed by said sliding door sections is shown in Fig. 2 between the edges of the walls W and W.

The door operating and. controlling device, which constitutes the subject matter of this invention, comprises the lever B and its associated mechanism. The lever B is journaled on a pivot fixed with relation to the door sections, which pivot may be mounted either on the floor at the bottom of the door or on the lintel at the top of the door. In the construction herein shown the lever B is pivoted at Z) to a suitable casting b fastened to the floor.

Secured to the faster moving door section, in this instance the door section A, is a bracket or plate C on which is mounted a swiveled guide D in which the upper part of the lever B is adapted to slide. The guide D in its preferred form consists of a guide block made up of an inner plate d, an outer plate d and a middle plate d fastened to one another and suitably spaced apart by the posts 03 at the four corners. The lever B extends through this guide block between the inner plate (Z, the middle plate (Z2 and the posts 03 which form a closely fitting guideway in which the lever B will slide. The inner plate at is made with a short stub shaft or neck d which extends through an aperture therefor in the plate C. The end of the stud shaft d is provided with a flange 4* which lies behind the plate C, thus securely holding the guide block D to the plate C but permitting it to turn thereon. 1

Pivoted t0 the front face of the lever B by means of a stud e is a latch bar E which extends nearly parallel with and overlies the upper end of the operating lever B. The latch bar E also passes through and slides within the swivel block D, the upper end being held between the middle plate 61 the outer late 0? and the posts 03 which form a gui eway for said bar. Near its upper end the latch bar E is provided with a shoulder or notch e which engages the lowermost post d of the guide block D when the doors are in closed position as shown. A handle 6 is mounted on the front face of the latch bar E.

The operating lever B is connected with the slower moving door A by the link F which is preferably pivoted at one end to the lever B upon the same stud or axis 6 with the latch bar, and at its other end is pivoted at f to the plate f secured to the door section A.

A spring .6 mounted on two of the posts 03 as shown normally presses the latch bar E toward the left thus yieldingly holding the notch e in engagement with its post (5 when the door is in closed position. When the door is to be opened the operator seizes the handle 6 and throws the same toward the right as viewed in the drawings. The first part of the movement of the handle 6 will swing the latch bar E toward the right until the shoulder e is disengaged from the post d thereby unlocking the door and operating device. A stop 6 is provided on lever B to engage the upper end of the latch bar E when it has been moved sufliciently to clear the catch formed by the post 0Z If desired, the posts 03 may be provided with antifriction rolls. Continued movement of the handle 6 toward the right will swing the latch bar E and lever B together toward the right which will cause the two door sections A and A respectively to move to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2,

whereupon the lever'B will assume the position indicated by the broken line G in Fig. 1. During this movement the lever B and latch bar E will slide endwise in the swiveled block D, which will turn on its pivot in the plate C to correspond with the changing angular position of the lever B and latch bar E. When the doors and operating device are swung back to their original position as shown in the drawings, the closing movement of the doors will be assisted by gravity and the latch bar E will automatically lock the doors in closed position partly through gravity, and partly through the spring. a.

I claim:

1. A plurality of door sections. mounted to slide, and a controller for said door sections comprising a lever j ournaled on a pivot fixed with relation to said door sections, a swiveled guide pivoted to the faster moving door section, in which guide said lever is adapted to slide, connection between said lever and the other door section or sections to operate the latter, a catch secured to one of said door sections, and a latch pivoted to said lever and adapted to engage said catch when said door sections are in closed position.

2. A plurality of door sections mounted to slide, and a controller for said door sections comprising a lever journaled on a pivotfixed with relation to said door sections, a swiveled guide pivoted to the faster moving door section, in which guide. said lever is adapted to slide, connection between said lever and the other door section or sections to operate the latter, a catch secured to one of said door sections,'and a latch bar pivoted to said lever and adapted to engage said catchwhen said door sections are in closed position, said latch bar adapted during the first part of its movement to disengage from said catch, and during the rest of its movement to carry said lever and door. sections toward open position.

3. A plurality "of door sections mounted to slide, and a controller for said door sections comprising a lever j ournaled on a pivot fixed with relation to said door sections, a swiveled guide block pivoted to the faster moving door section through which block said lever passes and in which it is adapted to slide, said guide block provided with a catch, connection between said lever and the. other door section or sections to operate the latter, and a latch bar pivoted to said lever, sliding with relation to said block and adapted to engage said catch when said door sect-ions are in closed position.

4. A pair of door sections mounted to slide, and a controller for said door sections comprising a lever journaled 011 a pivot fixed with relation to said door sections, a swiveled guide block pivoted to the faster moving door section, through which said lever passes and in which it is adapted to slide, a link pivotally connected with said lever and with the slower moving door section, and a latch bar pivoted to said lever passing through and sliding in said guide block, adapted to engage sald block to lock the door sections in closed position.

5. A pair of door sections mounted to slide, and a controller for said door sections comprising a lever journaled on a pivot fixed with relation to said door sections, a swiveled guide block pivoted to the faster moving door section, through which said lever passes and in which it is adapted to slide, a link pivotally connected with said lever and with the slower movino' door section, and a latch bar pivoted to said lever on the same pivotal axis with said link, passing through and sliding in said guide block, and provided with a shoulder adantc' o engage said block to lock the door sections in closed position.

6. A pair of door sections mounted to slide, and a controller for said door sections, comprising a lever journaled on a pivot fixed with relation to said door section, a swiveled guide pivoted to the faster moving door section, in which guide said lever is adapted to slide, connection between said lever and the other door section to operate the latter, a catch secured to said faster moving door section; a latch bar pivoted to said lever and adapted to engagesaid catch when said door sections are in closed position, and a stop on said lever in the path of said latch bar, whereby said latch bar during the first part of its movement will disengage from said catch and engage said stop, and during the rest of its movement will swing said ever and door sections toward open position.

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts, this 18th day of May, 1910.

ELMER F. SMITH.

Witnesses:

ROBERT CUsI-IMAN, CHARLES D. VVoonBERRY. 

